Ryan submitted a new blog post: Featured Cl***ifieds: '39 Ford Woodie Continue reading the Original Blog Post
I read some where that the wooden body station wagon was the most expensive to produce but, with the lowest return on the trade -in dollar. In my lifetime I p*** on two and brought two and still have one, that in reality will never see the light of day as a finish product. I will never get it done but will prevent me from spending money to buy another one.
I would be a millionaire if I had a dollar for every time someone asked me "where's your surfboard"? You are correct when you state that Station Wagons were utilitarian vehicles. Most were used to haul goods from vendors and to pick up p***engers at rail way stations and transport them to hotels. In the 60's "Woodies" were 20 year old cheap vehicles selling for about $100. Surfers figured out that they were big enough to haul their boards and at night sleep in them. When surfing became more popular, "Woodies" became ***ociated with surfing. Too bad that '39 is missing the engine and trans, it would be an easier sell.
yep, Woodies are Cool - many with true history of use - prices are all over the place - like everything, worth what someone is willing to pay - my story from High Schol days was buying a '51 Ford Woodie in very good condition for $25 - was missing one head & intake, etc - n ever found parts needed & sold for $25 - oh well
I had a 51 Ford Country Squire Woodie, last year from Ford .. fun car flathead with a overdrive.. smiles and waves all time when driving around town.. never was the HODAD person with surf decals or surf boards in the wagon.. leave it for the real guys that surf.. this is my buddy Bruce's woodie.. was sold a year after he built it.. The gent that bought it 35+ years ago still has it, gave it to his son.. the picture was taken right after it was shipped up from southern ca. to Washington.. a little tired but still going... pic of my 51..
Man, you got that right, I constantly hear,"Where's your surfboard"? I tell them I don't surf and live 300 mile from the ocean, why would I want a surfboard? HRP
I'm amazed at the reaction from a lot of non-car people when they see my '39 DeLuxe. They can't believe the quality and workmanship that goes into these. Gets more thumbs up, and waves than almost anything I own. This was before I 'tweeked' it a little. []
They have their following. That one with the wood done would be a good one to do. Have been involved with a few over the years-all hotrods-a 34,37,39 and 40 and they are a lot of work! The 39 was done just before covid hit. It is in a thread Jalopy Joker posted recently.
This one belongs to my pal Alan, it wasn't always this nice. As found. Alan is a regular over on The Ford Barn. HRP
Ryan is correct that is a sweet deal. With all of the expensive wood being done the worst part is over. Finish it any way you want. My '51 came with all the original wood framing but the wood panels were shot and the flathead and interior was tired. I rubbed out and spot repaired the old green repaint (left the original aqua firewall for authenticity) and found a low miles rebuilt 8BA. My guess is I am all in at 30-35k but this is a shoebox wagon where the wood is only cosmetic. Hell my panels alone were about 7k. My guess is the asking price is far less than the cost for the woodwork alone on the '39. BTW - no surf boards for me, perhaps a toboggan.
I’m a trim carpenter by trade and a woodie has always been on my list of must have. My pops has a 28 wooden framed fordor that I thought would make a kool *** phantom woodie. Use the cowl forward and build the wooden back half.
View attachment 5334025 View attachment 5334025 as ...That's my buddy Bruce who built the Model A woodie interior was updated and the steering wheel & adapter...@elhueso
Your welcome.. Bruce surfed a lot in his younger days.. and is building a 32 from scratch.. has the front of 32 Truck Cab he's using and has a TCI frame set up that is a complete roller.
Just needs a little at***ude and al***ude adjustment similar to this un but I wouldn’t change a standard nose for nuthin
I've posted my '46 many times. Factory paint, original wood has been refinished. Never had any of my boards in it. In the Hop Up department, it has headers, also, I just bought a Columbia for it....
If anyone is interested in building a Model A Woodie from scratch the National Woodie Club offers a set of plans for one.
This is a 1947 Oldsmobile Woodie. 15-20 of the '47 and '48's are left. Not going to be able to do what I had hoped so its For Sale in Little Rock, Arkansas. I had planned on getting it running and driving and enjoy it.
Hello, In our So Cal beach era during our high school years, not one woody was seen in and around our cruising area. If one was seen, it was a rag tag weather beaten one that some person had as a last resort form of transportation. Today, we would call it a barn find or field find. There were plenty of different field finds, even in suburbia. Custom station wagons have been around for many years. For those that like station wagons… the term came from those very early days of woodies that lined up at the “railroad station” to take the customers home from the weary train travels. A lot of them were used on ranches and large estates as transportation for their own guests. It also went into the high end vacation hotels to offer pickups at the railroad “station” for their customers to come to the hotel in style. Hence the name: Station Wagons… In modern times, they can still be used as station wagons for transporting vacationers from the local airports to the resort hotels, where ever they are located. That is great customer service. Living near a major So Cal airport, one sees a lot of Sprinter window vans taking up the modern version of “pick up resort tourists” at the airport and transport them around. As much as woody wagons are known to be surf related wagons, it was not always the case. As the need for something different came into being, the extra work for the wood maintenance and custom shaping was beyond most backyard hot rod folks. As the need arose, the custom shops boomed when a remodel of an old woody was needed. Now, woody wagons are found 1000s of miles away from the surf culture and with the surfboards on top, it is a long drive to the beach. We met some kids during a vacation in San Diego that drove from Arizona directly to the San Diego beaches. Their need for waves was based on a 2 hour drive ending up in some great coastal locations. Arizona? That was the home of one of the first wave pools that was built back in those early days. Jnaki A recent So Cal business venture just got started before the pandemic, this newly created resort in Newport Beach thought the idea of a having a “resort provided customer service" for its clients/vacationers was a good idea. The location is centered in the popular Lido Isle inner bay/harbor area and is a short drive to the white sand beaches of the Peninsula along the Balboa oceanfront. An idea taken from the time of big resorts located all over the USA. Travelers flying in to the local airport would enjoy being carted around and to the new resort in this 1946 Ford Woody, creating an atmosphere of client service and good will. A 1946-48 Ford Woody at the new, Newport Beach Lido House Hotel. This location is across the huge parking lot of two of our favorite pre-pandemic store/50s diner. The West Marine general store for sailing goodies and clothing, as well as the Woody's Diner restaurant. This Ford Woody was part of the new resort “feeling” shown to guests at this fairly new hotel complex. The new, Lido House Hotel at the Lido Isle section of Newport Beach replaced the old Newport City Hall. It can be seen while driving down the main drag that leads into the Newport Pier beach area and the Balboa Peninsula. “The hotel’s design and iconic architecture celebrates Newport Beach’s Cape Cod aesthetic with elegant twists on a variety of nautical themes. Sitting on the site of former City Hall, Lido House is the old-new centerpiece of Newport Beach.” In this So Cal location, a connection to the old days was the alternative to meeting and greeting the rest of the family at a big gathering. A cool station wagon for the whole family to come as you are in comfort and style. No more huge road hogging Sprinter vans for your family!!! The idea of a So Cal location that still gives the traveler a feeling of being transported by a Woody Wagon is still available, in this modern time. Note: There are some woodies that are rare, but those are usually not being used for daily drivers. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...s-for-st-patrick.1187757/page-3#post-13489612
Another shot of Oldwoods' Olds. Saw it at Pe*** Jean swap meet a couple of years back, and had I been there unsupervised, I probably would've tried to get my hands on it. I had no idea a Hamb member owned it at the time. Very cool car.
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